The other day, a yard crew arrived to mow a relative’s lawn only to realize their lawnmower wasn’t on the truck. The situation was easily remedied. But I was there when they realized the lawnmower was missing. And in that moment, they were frustrated.
Why? Because they didn’t have what was needed to do the job they’d been called to do.
I have to admit: I’ve felt a similar frustration before.
There have been times when, as I surveyed the things God had called me to do I reached into my personal resources to begin and realized: I didn’t have what I needed for the job. In and of myself, I didn’t have the power, motivation or discipline to do what God had called me to do.
Have you ever been there?
When God asks you to speak up for what is right… or to forgive what is hard… or to step out of your comfort zone by faith…do you ever just feel like “I don’t have it in me?”
If so, you’re not alone. But 2 Timothy 1:6-7 has great encouragement for all of us who have felt this way.
Listen to what Paul writes to Timothy:
(6) For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. (7) For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. (NIV)
In verse 6, Paul encourages Timothy to faithfully step out and fulfill his calling.
But in verse 7, he goes on to remind Timothy how and why he can fulfill it.
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
Did you catch that?
The reason Paul can urge Timothy to do what God called him to do is because he knows the Holy Spirit will supply all the resources necessary.
Paul specifically mentions three Holy Spirit resources given to believers in verse 7: power, love and self-discipline.
These are the tools we need in order to fulfill our callings (no matter how grand or humble those callings may be).
Power: the ability to do God’s will
Frequently, God calls us to do things that are beyond our natural powers and abilities. We don’t have the strength or the skillset!
But rather than being discouraged by this, we should be encouraged. This is an invitation to rely on the power of God.
Through the indwelling Holy Spirit, God offers His divine power to us.
If we will ask for His help, He will apply His power to our problems and His ability to our insufficiency.
It’s true: We may be powerless to do what God has called us to do. But that’s okay. Because if we ask for His help He will give us all that is needed.
God’s power enables us to do His will despite our weakness.
Love: the motivation to do God’s will
Romans 5:5 says that “God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” (NIV)
In other words, the Holy Spirit makes God’s love real to us. He applies God’s unconditional, sacrificial love to our hearts and minds.
And because He does that, two things happen:
- We stop working for love and we start working from love.
- God’s love for us overflows into love for others.
When our need for love and acceptance is satisfied in God, we are freed up and motivated to love God and others well, even when it’s costly.
God’s love motivates us to do His will in our world.
Self-discipline: the mindset to do God’s will
Our human tendency is to live life under the influence—under the influence of feelings, fears, whims, cravings and culture (to name just a few). And these influences often derail our plans to follow God’s lead and fulfill our callings.
But thanks be to God, the Holy Spirit enables us to live sober-minded. When we are under His influence, He enables us to exercise self-discipline.
We can say yes to hard thing in spite of our fears.
And we can say no to cravings that would take us in the opposite direction of God’s will.
We are freed from living whim-to-whim.
Because, as Christians, we are not living under the influence of those things anymore. We are living under the influence of the Holy Spirit who gives us self-control.
So no matter what challenges or temptations arise, we can stay faithful in obedience and diligent in our callings.
God’s influence instills the discipline we need to do His will in spite of distractions.
The bottom line is this:
All that we need for our callings is ours for the asking.
God’s indwelling Spirit is the Source of everything we need. And if we will but ask for His help, He will enable us to do the works given to us.
So to close, here are some questions to prayerfully consider:
1. What has God asked you to do that you lack the resources for? And which of these Holy Spirit resources are you particularly in need of?
2. How will you approach this calling differently because of 2 Timothy 1:6-7?
Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
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